Flights of Fancy
by quicksilver773
Summary: His eyes left the boy's face and he looked up as he ran up the staircase, towards the dark of East City's night, and his mind began to wander back. How long had it been since Edward had disappeared? How long since Alphonse, flesh and blood, had all but broken down his office door in a panic, asking where his brother was, why he was whole, and what had Edward done?
1. Everything's Fine

Shock.

A feeling Roy had grown accustomed to throughout his life, but it seemed as though there was always going to be something waiting around the bend to throw him right back into that state.

The state where the world moved around him, and his body moved with it, but with seemingly no control of his own. He moved on autopilot, issuing orders, he was doing that now, but the words he spoke didn't register in his mind. For all Roy knew, he could be telling his team to go home for the night, or he could be asking for help. But as the world moved forward, at such an odd pace, too. Was it going faster or slower than normal? He watched from the recesses of his mind as his arms reached down to help up the prone figure on the ground. One arm, one leg, bloodied and beaten.

As he lifted the little body up in his arms (too light, he's _too light_ ) he didn't focus on what was wrong, what shouldn't be there, but on his face, eyes closed in sleep, but his brow was furrowed in pain and his jaw was clenched. There were things there that he could recognize, like the little scar over his eyebrow, but the bigger scar (a burn scar. Who had burned him?) that started where his ear (was that an ear?) did, and crossed the bridge of his nose to taper out under his right eye, that scar was new.

His eyes left the boy's face and he looked up as he ran up the staircase, towards the dark of East City's night, and his mind began to wader back.

How long had it been since Edward had disappeared? How long since Alphonse, flesh and blood, had all but broken down his office door in a panic, asking where his brother was, why he was whole, and _what had Edward done_?

Years. It had been years, but was it one or two? Three, perhaps? It was hard to tell. The first weeks flew by as his team inspected the hotel room the brothers had been staying in. There was no circle to be found, no marks indicating either a transmutation or a struggle, and not a single witness or clue to bring any sort of hope to Al. Poor Al, left alone without warning, whole again but overwhelmed by sensation.

How long had it been since he'd seen the younger (and previously thought last) Elric?

It was months after Ed vanished when Al left for the Rockbell's home back in Risembool. Roy wouldn't forget the day Al came into the office for the last time, explaining through tears that he couldn't stay there without his big brother. He couldn't walk through the streets or even sit in his room without feeling the loss. He said that he was going to Risembool, going to the Rockbells to finally have a home.

" _I know it doesn't make sense," he had said, "going back to where I would miss him the most, but I'd have Winry, and Granny. We don't have a body, but we're going to make a headstone anyway, right by mom's." Al had finally looked Roy in the eyes then, "and thank you, Colonel. You did so much for us, and I'm sorry I can't repay you."_

 _Roy could still feel the lump in his throat._

" _Nonsense." He'd replied, "You owe me nothing at all, if there's anything else I can do..."_

" _One thing, just one." Al said, "please keep in contact. I want to mourn, but I don't want to forget. Maybe I'll come back someday, someday when it stops hurting. But until then, just whenever something happens, something good. A promotion, or a birthday, or just when something funny happens here-"_

He'd cut off then, maybe there was nothing else to say, or maybe he just couldn't find the strength to continue, but he said his goodbyes, and left. While Roy kept his promise, there really wasn't a lot of contact between them. He called on birthdays, and on the anniversary of when Ed supposedly died, just to tell a story of Ed, something to make Al laugh.

The memory carried Roy from the building they had found the body in, and into the car, where he shoved into the back next to Riza, who applied what first aid she could as Roy cradled the missing boy in his lap.

"Sir."

Riza, always composed, even in the face of such… Well, it wasn't quite disaster, but it was hardly a miracle.

"Sir." Came the voice again, and suddenly Roy was back in control, at least somewhat.

Roy forced out a "yes" but it sounded a bit far off.

"We can't take him to a hospital, not like this." Riza spoke in a low tone, "there's no telling what they'd do to him."

"No." Roy agreed, and looked down at Ed.

God knows what had happened to him. Golden ears, resembling a cats stuck out from either side of his head, right where human ones once were. The rounded tips were darker in color, and spots of the same tone were flecked across his skin, dapples over his shoulders and thighs, where he had only the torn and dirtied remnants or a nightdress to cover himself. From his single hand, his fingernails appeared to be missing, but pushing down on the darkened pads on his fingertips caused a sharp black claw to slide out of almost nowhere.

There was a long tail that stretched out from the base of his tailbone, the same golden color as his ears and hair curled up at the end, where a tuft of that dark colored fur grew out, but interspersed in that fur was a feather of similar color.

The feathers. As much as he wanted to ignore them, at the same time he could hardly look away from the wings that sprouted out from Ed's back. Right under his shoulder blades, feathers burst out and grew into two gigantic wings, golden wings dappled with browns, and tapering out into a near black at the tips.

Not even his remaining left leg had been left alone. Right below his knee, his skin was obscured once more with fur as it twisted into that of a feline hind leg, right down to the paw.

Ed was a chimera.

Someone had taken Ed, who had already suffered through so much, and fused him with animals to an unknown end.

Roy clenched his jaw, "We'll take him back to my home, I've a spare room he can stay in. I'll get Fuery to set up a secure line, and I'll get Dr. Knox to check him over."

Riza nodded, and nothing more was said as they were driven by Havoc back to Roy's townhouse. Riza continued to apply first aid, cleaning the many cuts that were scattered over Ed's arm and leg, but leaving the possible wounds under his clothes to give him some privacy, some dignity in this form.

When they were but a few minutes away from their destination, Ed began to wake up. His eyes opened, golden irises surrounded by black, and surrounding a slanted pupil that widened as it took in his surroundings.

"Colonel?" Ed rasped, trying to move away from his grip, "it hurts."

Roy's heart lurched at the soft voice as the boy began to writhe.

"Where does it hurt?"

Ed moved his hand to press down at the loose fabric over his chest, and it began to soak with blood.

Roy's heart skipped a beat.

"Havoc! Get us there _now_!" No longer caring for Ed's privacy, he ripped the fabric to expose the wound.

It was a burn.

It was right in the middle of his chest, slowly oozing red blood, bubbling, and blackened on the edges, with brown coloring making its appearance amongst the bleeding.

Ed _needed_ medical attention, and he needed it now, but the best they had was Hawkeye and a bag of antiseptic wipes and band-aids.

As they pulled into the driveway, Roy opened the door and jumped out with Ed in his arms before the car had even stopped moving.

Hawkeye followed after him, calling Havoc in with them.

As the door opened Roy immediately went for his living room, and carefully laid Ed down on the couch, moving the edges of the nightdress away from his wound.

"Forget the secure line!" Roy called to Hawkeye, "Get Knox here, now!"

"Colonel?" Ed asked again, and when Roy looked back to him, his pupils were dialated and his breathing was steadily getting faster. "What's going on?"

"He's going into shock!"

"Captain Hawkeye is on the phone with Dr. Knox." Havoc told him, looking at the wound on Ed's chest and turning a bit green.

Roy could only just make out Hawkeye talking, but it still helped him a bit.

"Colonel!" Ed groaned, "Where's Al?"

Injured, bleeding, and changed, and still Ed is asking for his little brother first.

"Where's Al?" He repeated, but his eyes were unfocused and glazed over. "I need Al here if we're going on a mission."

Roy's blood ran cold, a mission?

"He's delirious." Roy realized, "How soon can Knox be here?"

Riza joined the two men from the kitchen, "He isn't happy, but I told him it was urgent. He'll be here in half an hour."

"That's not soon enough!" Roy growled, trying to think. Being in the military all three of them had gone through different levels of basic medical training, but Roy was versed in treating burns, whether they be his own or others when his alchemy goes awry.

"Get me some ice water and a rag. There are pots in the cabinet to the right of the sink."

"On it," Havoc said as he left the room.

"Riza, upstairs in the cabinet of my bathroom there should be a tube of burn cream. Bring it down."

"Sir." And then she was gone too.

Ed was breathing frantically, and his hand had come up to grasp at Roy's arm.

"Is Al okay?"

"Al's fine, you just relax."

"I can't relax, Al isn't here, oh and it hurts! Why does it hurt?" Ed began to shake.

Knox couldn't get there soon enough.

"You've been burned, Ed." Roy explained, "and you need to sit still so we can treat it."

Ed nodded and closed his eyes as Roy moved Ed's hand from his sleeve to Roy's own hand. "It'll be okay, Ed. "We'll make it stop hurting."

Ed's glazed over eyes opened to meet his, "Everything?"

"What?"

"Everything hurts. Will you stop all of it?"

Roy held Ed's hand tighter. "Of course." He ignored the claws digging into the palm of his hand. "Everything will be better."

Riza showed back up first, but Roy could hear water running in the next room over.

"Go help Jean," Roy said as he took the half-empty tube of ointment, "I need that water."

Riza left, and with her they came back with the biggest pot Roy owned and plenty of ice.

Soaking the soft rag in the water, and taking some chunks of ice out with it, he lay the towel over the burn and tried to get some of the blood off.

He wasn't prepared for Ed to jerk away.

"No, no!" Ed wheezed, trying to sit up, but failing once the burn began to fold in on itself as he moved.

There was a knock at the door.

But it was much too early for Knox.

But sure enough when Havoc returned it was with Knox at his side, both their arms full of supplies.

"How'd you get here so fast?" Roy asked, glancing at the clock. The thirty minute drive had taken the man only fifteen.

"Your Captain said it was urgent, so a may have ignored a few signs and speed limits. Knox didn't wait for any reaction, but just went ahead and knelt down next to Ed. "Thought this kid was dead." He commented, but took the rag Roy was using and began to dab at the bloodied burn. "How'd this happen?"

"I don't know." Roy answered honestly, "And we thought he was dead, too. We found him in someones basement during a routine inspection."

Knox shook his head. "This is bad, very, very bad. Not quite third degree, but at least he won't be needing a skin graft."

The doctor worked for the next three hours, going through many of Roy's towels and washcloths to use to soak up the blood that seeped from the burns and the pus that poured from the blisters.

At one point, he began stitching.

It was a time to be thankful, Ed wasn't conscious enough to notice the needle.

By the time dawn came, and early morning light helped illuminate the living room, Knox stood, and sighed, wiping his hands on his trousers. "Thats all I can do now. I'll be back with some antibiotics and an IV, some pain meds too. Keep him resting and both that burn and the infected cuts should heal up just fine."

He turned to look Roy dead in the eye. "But, Major General, I don't know what to tell you about his new features."

Knox was a good doctor. Waiting until his job was done to point out something as jarring as that.

As Riza saw the man out, Roy had Havoc help him get Ed, who had since fallen asleep, up off the couch and into the nearby guest room without jarring the injury or wrinkling the large bandage covering it.

As they got Ed rested against the pillows and beneath the navy blue comforter, he sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"You and Riza head on home and get rested. I'm going to call in sick for a while to take care of Ed. You can draw up some kind of reason I'll be needing an IV, antibiotics, and pain medicine, right?"

As Roy saw his two subordates out not an hour later, both under the knowledge that Roy had managed to catch a very serious strain of 'flu after visiting Elysia's school a few days back.

Easy to believe and easy to ignore.

And better yet, it would give him a minimum of two weeks before Headquarters would even allow someone who had been so sick to come back.

As he went inside he found that there was one person who he had to call. It was almost time, anyway.

Dialing the number took no focus whatsoever, he knew it by heart now.

But as he waited for Al to pick up, he realized he had no idea what to say.

"Hello?" But sure enough, Al answered the phone. "This is Rockbell Automail, how can I help you?"

"Alphonse." Roy greeted, "It's good to hear you, how have you been?"

There was a moment of quiet, before Al spoke again.

"I'm fine." He said, "So is Winry, but Granny is getting on in years. What's this about?"

Roy quickly prepared a lie. "Its been almost four years since Ed died. We all miss you, why don't you and Mrs. Rockbell come up for a visit? I've found some of Ed's old mission reports, and they're quite enjoyable to read now."

Al was quiet. Roy hoped he would catch on. Not once in almost four years had Roy invited Al to come back to Central for Even a day. He wouldn't not until well after Al would have elected to come back himself.

"Would it be like a memorial party?"

He didn't catch on.

"Yes, if you'd like. There was never a funeral, but we could hold some kind of memorial for him if you'd like. Otherwise it would just be a get-together. You and the old team, maybe some old friends of yours."

"It would be nice to see everyone again, I think I've dragged each detail about mine and Ed's childhood there is to know out of Granny. Sure, we'll come."

"Good, could you get on the next train?"

"The _next_ train?"

"I don't know when the next time Gracia and Elysia will be in town, and I don't know when they'll be leaving." Roy lied easily. He felt the same prick of guilt he did whenever he noticed how easy lying had become, but at this point he had no choice.

"Oh, then I'll pack right away. I'll see you in a day."

"In a day. I'll get everything prepared then," Roy said his goodbyes and hung up.

Now to find out what he would be telling Al when he actually showed up, expecting some kind of funeral.


	2. Reunited

"Hey, brother." Al greeted as he kneeled down in the grass before the headstone.

 _Edward Elric_

 _1899 – 1915_

 _Gone but not Forgotten_

The marble headstone stood silently over a patch of dirt, and casted a shadow on the dying bouquet of lilies placed at it's base, alongside a smaller group of picked wildflowers.

Al didn't know who had left those, but it could have been anyone in Risembool. Everyone there had come to see Al put up the headstone, even though there wasn't a body to bury. A few had said prayers for Edward's soul. It wasn't a funeral, but Al was thankful that there were many people who would mourn and remember his older brother.

He cleared away the older flowers and placed some new ones in their place.

"I've brought you some new flowers," he said as he picked away the wilted petals and tossed them away, "Winry and I will be going to Central today, but I wanted to stop by and say bye first." Al may not have been able to give a true farewell to his brother, but that didn't stop him from saying it whenever he left the little grave. "We're going to see Mustang and the old team, Gracia and Elysia, too. Have I told you that Mustang is a Major General now? Anyway, we're going to have some sort of reunion party, and a memorial for you, I think. Isn't that nice? You never really got one, and well, it's better late than never, right?"

There was no response from the cold marble, and Al felt the familiar tug of heartache.

"We'll be going through East City on the train, though. Maybe on the way back I'll go and visit Mr. Hughes' grave, too." Al plucked at the overgrowing grass. "Are you with him now? I hope you are." Al fiddled with the bag he brought, and pulled out a little ring box. "I wanted you to know first, Ed." Al explained, "I'm going to propose to Winry. I know it's only been a year or so, but..." Al trailed off, unable to find the words. "I'm going to ask her on the anniversary of your death, right here." Al planned, "We both miss you so much, and I want to remember you for who you were, and not by the absence in the house. I want the wedding to be in the little church here, nothing too fancy, so I can be sure you'll be watching over it." Al waited a moment before he sighed, wiped his eyes and stood. "I'll be back in just a few days, so just you wait. Do you remember that little food stall you'd always buy from before we would leave the Main Central Station? I'm going to go by there to give it a try, maybe I'll bring you something back, too."

Al turned to leave the cemetery, but glanced once more over his shoulder before he left.

For a moment he wondered if his brother's soul could hear him from the gate.

Al didn't have the time, nor the heart, to worry. He had to meet Winry at the station.

Later, Hawkeye gathered their team in Mustangs house, under the guise of them annoying their CO with a get-well party.

Not exactly something common of the subordinates of a General, but something the Brass had come to expect from them.

Mustang, the 'flu ridden' man stood before his confused team, who were all situated in his living room.

Havoc stood near the door, worrying a cigarette between his teeth while Breda and Kain were both seated on his couch while Falman had taken a seat on one of the two armchairs.

"What's this about?" Breda asked, "The Captain said you were sick."

"Only on paper." Roy answered, "and this is about Fullmetal."

"But… He's dead." Falman pointed out. "He's been dead for years."

"Didn't he give himself up so Al could have a body?" Kain asked, "are we finally going give him a funeral?"

"No," Roy said, "We _found him_. Edward is alive."

Roy got three looks that all said _you're crazy_.

"Al is coming in from Risembool today, along with Winry Rockbell. They don't know he's alive yet, I couldn't say it over the phone."

"If he's alive," Falman said slowly, "Why are we here? Why isn't he, I don't know, in the hospital? Or in Risembool with Al?"

"Hawkeye has gone to pick up Al and Winry," Roy said, "and Edward is in my guest room. Please, come and see."

They all ended up squeezed into a single small bedroom, surrounding a bed that was currently occupied by a frail little body.

Edwards hair had grown to his waist and it sprawled out across the pillows, fanning out behind him like a halo. His wings were stretched out on either side of him, hanging off the sides of the bed with the feathers just touching the floor.

His burn had been covered by bandages, and an IV was taped to his hand, a steady supply of saline, an antibiotic, and a pain medication.

It would not keep him asleep much longer, as any more in his now thin body would be dangerous.

He would be awake in time to see Al.

"He's really alive." Kain whispered, his eyes wide and unblinking. "All this time, how could he be alive all this time?"

"Forget that!" Breda huffed, "Look at him! What's _happened_ to him?"

Roy explained, "He's a chimera. An alchemist, who we are searching for has fused him with currently unknown animals to create what he is now."

"I don't understand." Havoc commented, "We looked everywhere for him, there was no way he was alive."

"We just didn't look hard enough." Roy commented.

Edward groaned in his sleep, his brows furrowing as his eyes began to open. His fingers dug into the comforter, tearing five holes through it.

Not that it really mattered, Roy could fix it easily.

Ed's eyes blinked once, then twice before his pupils dilated and focused on the people surrounding him.

He closed his eyes and asked, "Where am I?"

Roy was somewhat… disappointed by the lack of reaction, but then again, he was on a lot of medications. "You're in my house, Edward. How do you feel?"

"Like shit." Ed said without opening his eyes, "How long have I been gone? What's the date?"

"It's been almost four years, Ed." Kain answered. "It will be four years in two months. It's the 28th of September 1919."

"Four years," Ed repeated in a breath. "It hasn't been as long as I thought. Does Al have his body back?"

Roy shared a glance with Havoc, "He has it back, and he's been living in Risembool with Winry," he explained, "Edward, we all thought you were dead."

Edward winced, and tried to sit up. It took three tries, and by the time Edward was up on his own, he was panting. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be-"

The doorbell interrupted him, and he glanced at Roy, who looked him in the eye and said, "That would be Al."

Edward stretched out his wings, hitting Havoc in the face and only narrowly missing Roy, "Al is here?" Ed's one hand snatched at the blankets, ripping a few more holes in them as he threw them to the side, revealing his missing automail leg and his clearly feline one.

Someone, Roy wasn't sure who, let out a small _oh my god_ at the sight while the rest of them were busy pressing Edward back into the bed.

"Havoc," Roy ordered, "Go let them in. The rest of us will be out in a moment." Havoc left immediately, and Roy turned his attention back to Ed, who was still fighting against his team, as weak as he was.

"I have to see him!" Ed said, trying desperately to get out of bed. "I never thought I'd see him again!"

The fact that Ed even said that changed Roy's mind. Edward thought he was going to die down there in that basement, surrounded by other chimeras, without ever even seeing his little brother in the flesh again. "Let him up."

"Sir?" Breda asked.

"Go see to Al. Tell him what's going on. I'll bring Fullmetal out." The name was instant on Roy's tongue, even though Ed hadn't really been a part of his staff for years.

Ed was breathing hard as they let go. "Am I still a State Alchemist?" Ed asked as the last three people left.

"Technically." Roy answered, "you were given MIA status for six months before they declared you dead, and they promoted you for your services. You're a Lieutenant Colonel." Roy took his one arm and placed his own under Ed's shoulder, where his automail arm should be before he lifted them both out of the bed and headed slowly for the door.

As Al got into the military issued car, he was only slightly surprised to see Hawkeye in the drivers seat alone. Normally she would have been joined by Mustang, but then again it had been years. Maybe things had just changed.

"Good morning, Captain Hawkeye." Alphonse greeted her with a smile. It really had been a while. She wasn't old, but there were lines starting to show on her face, and they became a bit more noticeable around her eyes as she smiled at them.

"Good morning, Alphonse, Winry." She pressed on the gas and they were on the road, and Al watched as the smile on her face vanished in the rear view mirror.

"I hope you've been well, Al." She said, "Edward-"

"He's at peace now." Al said with a certainty that only years of grief could bring.

Riza's brows furrowed, "About that, Al, I need you to listen. We've made a discovery, and some of it is wonderful, but some of it is… less than ideal."

"What's going on?" Winry asked, the only time she'd spoken, aside from her initial greeting. "Was it something to do with Ed?"

"Yes." She said, "This is not a memorial party, or any sort of get-together that we called you here on."

"Then what?" Al asked, drawing a blank, "Did you find where the transmutation was preformed?"

"Did you find his body?" Winry asked, "We made him a grave already, but we can still-"

"No, no." Riza interrupted, "Listen. We found Edward alive."

"Alive?" Winry sounded ecstatic, "He's alive?"

"Yes." Riza said, "And he's at Major General Mustang's house recovering."

"Recovering?" Al asked for clarification, his eyes wide, staring, and unseeing.

He'd been to Edward's grave not long ago. Edward was dead. He'd given himself over to the gate so that Al could be human again. How could he be alive?

Riza frowned. "We found him unconscious among a pack of chimeras in the basement of an alchemist's house." She started slowly, "But before I go any further I want you both understand that I am being completely honest, and that Ed has been seen to by Dr. Knox and will be physically well in just a matter of months."

"I-" Winry started, "Alright."

Alphonse felt dread creeping up in his stomach.

Ed was alive, but he was missing his other leg.

Ed was alive, but he didn't remember anything.

Ed was alive, but he was dying anyway.

Ed was alive, but he was insane.

"Edward is a chimera." She said simply, "I do not want you to be shocked by his appearance," they pulled into a driveway, "he has wings now, and a tail. His leg has changed it's appearance, too, and I'm afraid he's going to need quite the unique piece of automail."

Edward was… a chimera?

What could possibly be said to _that_?

So Alphonse followed her to the door, taking Winry's hand in his. Glancing up to check at her, he saw what had to be the same expression on his own face.

Confusion.

Fear.

Doubt.

Riza rang the doorbell, and when no one answered immediately, Al started to sweat.

His brother was in there, his previously-thought dead brother.

What would he say?

What would he do?

But then the door opened, and they were all ushered inside by Havoc and the rest of the gang.

Havoc spared him a grin, but the rest of them looked shaken.

"Where's Ed?" Al asked, at the same time Winry asked the exact same question.

Kain's lip twitched with restrained laughter. "The General's helping him out. He really wants to see you both."

Then they heard a door opening, and Al stared.

Ed had his one arm around Mustang's shoulder, and his one leg was more dragging than actually walking across the hardwood floor. But his eyes, his animalistic eyes, locked onto Al, and he smiled.

That was it for Al.

With only a few long strides, Al was taking Ed from the General's grasp, and wrapping his arms around his winged brother.

"Ed! Oh my god, Ed!"

Winry ran over to join them, wrapping her arms around the two brothers as she began to cry with joy.

Ed was alive!

Ed wrapped his wings around his two closest friends and felt them all sink into the floor.

"Ed!" Winry cried, "I- oh my god! You're okay!"

Soon enough Winry wasn't the only one crying as Al broke down after Ed started crying into his shoulder.

"Al! I never thought I'd see you again!"

Roy let the trio cry themselves out before he gathered them all into the living room, letting Ed, Al, and Winry took the couch, Ed leaning against his brother, but with one wing wrapped around both Al and Winry, keeping them close.

To their credit, they only looked a bit weirded out.

"So," Roy began. "Edward, how did this happen?"

Ed winced, "I… I made a mistake." He drummed his fingers. "I found out a local alchemist had a philosopher's stone, and he was using it to make perfect chimeras."

"Perfect?" Winry asked.

Roy closed his eyes. "It means the two halves cannot be separated. Edward, did he use the stone on you?"

"Yes." Edward said, "I stole the stone. I was desperate, I couldn't see any way to get Al back, and this guy had the ticket, and was using it to _fuse animals_. He wasn't using it to heal anyone, or even make himself stronger."

"And you used it on Al?"

Ed nodded. "I was going to put it back, I used a bit of ruby I had for alchemical supply to make it look like it did before I used it, but he..." Ed pressed his hand to the burn on his face, "He knew I took it. He waited for me, and he threw some sort of acid on me, and the next thing I knew I was on a circle, caged with a mountain lion and a hawk. He used the last of the stone to fuse me."

Roy shook his head. "What did the man look like? What was his name?"

"He… was Ishvallan. He had the tattoos on his face, the ones that mean they've been banished?"

Roy nodded, "I know what you're talking about, anything else?"

"He was bald, and one eyelid was scarred over, but he never told me his name. I don't know if he had one."

"That's okay, Ed." Riza said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "We'll find him, I can promise you that."


	3. Confusion

The bothersome sound of the grandfather clock ticking away the hours filled the cozy living room as the four concerned people sat around in silence.

"There has to be something we can do." Winry reasoned, but the look on her face was anything but hopeful, "We could amputate the wings. That would take care of that problem, but about the-"

"You're not cutting _anything_ off of me!" Edward hissed, quite literally, sounding exactly like a cat. "The wings are a part of me now, and so is everything else. Or were you going to amputate my tail and my other leg, too? What about my ears? Those aren't human. Or my nose? Can you amputate that?" As he yelled, Edward had scooted to the edge of the couch, and the fur on his tail had bushed out.

He waited silently for a response, but his look of rage twisted into regret as Winry shrunk back into her chair and refused to met his eyes.

Edward heaved a large sigh, "I'm sorry. I don't know where that came from."

"No," Winry said, "it was a stupid idea."

"What matters right now is how we're going to reintroduce Edward here into the world." Roy said before more 'stupid ideas' were put to the test. "There are already four Human-Chimeras known in the world, I believe you know them?"

Alphonse answered first, "Yes, they're good people, but they aren't like Ed, they can look human. They shift between forms."

Their attention shifted over to Edward. "Can you shift?" Roy asked. If they had to, they could just hide his new found ability.

Edward's ears pressed to the sides of his head. "If I can, I don't know how." His tail swished, "besides, I don't really look like they do when they shift into their chimera forms. I look more human than they do in their forms."

"He's right," Al said, "but that doesn't mean you can't shift. This was a different alchemist, maybe with a different skill level."

Edward drummed his fingers on his knee, not being very careful of his claws. "I've been like this for four years now. I really don't think I can shift."

"That doesn't matter right now." Winry said, standing and moving over to where Ed sat, before kneeling down and taking a look at his leg port. "This is rusted and dented, and some of the wires here are fried. The port will be hard to replace."

"Am I going to need the surgery all over again?" Edward asked, picking at the scar at the edge of the port. There were a few scabs around it, though they looked like claw marks. Were they self-inflicted?

"No, but this port will need to be replaced, and your shoulder port, too, and both will require surgery, I'm sorry, Ed."

Edward was grimacing, whiskers twitching. "When can you preform it?"

Winry was giving Edward a hard look. "Ideally, you'd be resting first, getting your wounds healed and the infections cleared. This will put a lot of strain on your body, and if something goes wrong it could very well kill you."

"Nothing will go wrong." Edward said, so very sure. "Nothing went wrong when I was a kid, and nothing will go wrong now."

Winry sighed, resigned to Ed's attitude, even after so long without him. "Well, first I'm going to need supplies. Metal, wires, a place to build… Oh, and I'll need the measurements for your leg, and I'm going to need to find out where all your tendons and bones are to make it work."

"… How will you do that?" Roy pointed out, "We can't take him to a hospital, not yet."

"If I can't get an X-Ray," Winry reasoned, "I'll need to just feel around for them. It runs the risk of it not being entirely accurate, but it's the best we have right now. Now, Edward, can you stretch out your toes?"

Edward did what he was asked, and he didn't miss the look of… something, that crossed Winry's face as his claws slid out. Discomfort, or maybe just plain nausea.

"I'll need to find a way to replicate the claws, too, to give you proper balance. That's going to be hard."

"Can you manage it?" Roy asked, moving to watch her work.

"It'll take some time, but I can." She was pressing her fingers into his paw, feeling around at the skeletal build and beginning to form a mental picture. "For now, I'm going to need some paper and blueprints. I might be able to use a book to find out the bone structure of a cat. Do you think that would work, Edward?"

Edward nodded, "He used a mountain lion on me, and I don't think the two are too different."

Winry nodded and carefully stood, placing a comforting hand on Edward's knee before she walked off. "We can't stay here too long without it looking suspicious. I'm sorry, but we really should be going."

"No," Roy said, moving to pick up Winry's bag and hand it to her, "You're right. We all need to play our parts. Yours are that of grieving family, and mine is to be, well, sick. So it would be best if you headed on out."

"We will, Edward, can I do the surgery in a week? Is that enough time for you to rest?" Winry asked as she took her purse.

"More than enough." Edward answered gruffly as he sat back against the couch and pulled his leg up to his chest.

The couple, still not to the knowledge of Edward, left to get supplies, and to find a hotel to stay at, leaving Roy and Edward alone in his house.

Roy stood at his stove, stirring a pot of chicken and rice soup, something substantial, but light for Edward, who looked like he'd been starved, and who very well could have been.

When the heat was at an appropriate temperature, Roy left it to simmer, going to check on Edward and change the bandages on his burn wound.

He found Ed sitting back on his couch, one wing stretched out next to him, and the other pulled out in front of him, where he had his one hand rummaging through the thick feathers.

To Roy's surprise, he pulled a feather from its place, letting it fall to the ground where a few others sat.

"Doesn't that hurt?"

Ed startled, yanking out a handful of feathers when he clenched his fist, and Roy got his answer with the wince Edward gave.

"Why would you even do that?" Roy took part of the wing in his hand and pulled it out to it's full length, to examine the bare patch of skin near the base of the wing. It looked like uncooked chicken, pockmarked, but a little bloody. Roy went to get his first aid kit, carefully dabbing at the welling spots of blood that clotted quite quickly before he moved to Edward's chest.

Edward gave no answer.

Roy said nothing more as he began to unwrap Edward's chest, coming down to the last few layers of cloth, though, he heard Edward hiss once more. The bandages were stained a deep red, spotted with brown and even yellow as pus seeped from the burn.

Many layers of skin were missing, and Roy muttered a quick apology as he began to work an antibiotic cream into the sluggishly bleeding flesh.

"Not really." Edward said, answering Roy's first question. "But this, this hurts."

"Sorry." Roy said for the third time as he finished up, feeling a bit sick at the pinkish layer of white cream over the burn. "But I have to do this, unless you want an infection."

Edward's fingers drummed on the armrest as Roy began to wind bandages around him once again. It was actually quite difficult, with Edward's wings being as big as they were.

"How did you even get this wound?" Roy asked as he finally, _finally_ clasped the end of the bandage tightly, sealing the pad against the burn, which the ointment had hopefully numbed just a bit.

"I don't know." Edward confessed, "I don't even remember falling asleep last, there was this loud bang, and then I woke up here."

Roy was quiet as he mulled over the answer. "Well, I don't know of any explosion or noise complaint recently, but we do need to find the origin of this wound."

Ed looked away as Roy got up. "Can I go to bed?"

Roy furrowed his brow, "Of course you can. You must be exhausted, here, let me help you."

"Hm."

Roy all but picked Edward up, wrapping Ed's only arm around his shoulders and holding on to Ed with his own arm. Together they made their way down the hall and to the little bedroom, where Edward curled up in bed like a cat.

Roy tugged the blankets up over Ed's shoulders, ignoring the dull glare he was getting as he tucked Edward in.

"Don't toss those off." Roy told him, "If you're going to have surgery, you're going to need to be rested and healed."

Edward looked away and hummed his acknowledgment.

The next morning Roy dug through his closets, and came up with a pair of crutches.

It wasn't perfect, but it was something that would help Edward get around on his own some, at least from the bedroom to the bathroom to the kitchen.

Edward was grateful for the crutch, laughing as he took a few steps on his own.

"It's been forever since I could walk!" He told Roy, limping into the kitchen where Roy had breakfast laid out.

Roy smiled at him, but inside his heart was breaking.

"Here, Ed." Roy helped him sit down in the chair, and situate his wings were they weren't squashed against the wall or squeezed against the back of the chair. "Maybe I need to get a stool for you, something without a back for you to sit on."

"Doesn't matter." Edward said as he grabbed hold of a piece of toast and tore into it as if it were a slice of meat. Edward chewed with his mouth open, and Roy got more than a glance into his mouth. Many of his teeth had been changed from a normal human's to spiked fangs, like that of a, well, cat.

Edward quickly moved on from his two slices of toast to the chunk of ham that Roy had placed in front of him, smacking his lips and making appreciative sounds as Roy nibbled at his own breakfast, not exactly hungry any longer.

"When was the last time you ate a full meal?" Roy asked him when Ed paused for breath after downing a mug of coffee. "I can see each one of your ribs."

Edward paused, and set the mug down carefully before he took his fork and cut his omelet into bite sized chunks.

"The person keeping me captive… He didn't feed me every day, but when he did it wouldn't be anything like this. It was just what went bad in his fridge, I think."

"What went bad?"

"Yeah," Edward said, making a face when he realized that his omelet did indeed contain cheese, but continuing to eat nonetheless. "Like old meat that he never cooked, moldy cheese, that kind of thing.

"I refused it in the beginning," Ed told him, "I was sure someone would come find me, but as time went on, I got hungrier and hungrier, and I just… gave up, I guess."

"You didn't give up, Ed." Roy told him, "You had to eat, even if it was less than ideal."

Edward smiled, "Well, I'm out of there now, aren't I?"

"Yes." Roy began to eat again despite the guilt churning in his stomach, "You are."


End file.
